How to Frost a Cake

1. To protect the serving plate from frosting, place wax paper or parchment paper strips around edge of plate. Place cake, rounded side down, on the plate.

Tip: make sure cakes are completely cooled before frosting. A warm cake can cause the frosting to soften or melt.

2. Spread top of cake with one quarter of frosting to within ¼ inch of the cake edge.

Tip: A thick frosting can pull and tear a cake surface. Thin by adding a few drops of water or milk to the frosting.

3. Top with second cake layer, rounded side up so that the two flat sides are together.

4. Spread with remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Gently remove paper from plate.

Tip: If the cake is very soft and crumbly, apply a “crumb coating” to prevent cake crumbs from spreading into the frosting. Spread a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake and let stand 5 to 10 minutes to dry. Spread remaining frosting over cake.

Watch our quick how-to Frost a Cake video